Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Khan believes that China's women's cricket team has a chance of becoming a major force in the world game in the near future.

"The girls in Asia seem almost the same. It's not like the boys, where India and Pakistan are too strong for China to catch up in a short time," Khan, who represented his country 29 times including at the 1983 World Cup, told China Daily.

Khan was invited by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to train China's men's and women's cricket teams. After working with the U15 team for four months and coaching the women's teams at the national championships, Khan is amazed by the passion and potential Chinese women have for cricket.

"I want to give them my experience. That is my main focus here. They are very surprising. They are playing cricket for the first time and they play in such a good manner. They are very talented.

"They are keen to learn. They are very much looking forward to cricket in China. The development is not very good yet, but they are hard working and there are many committed people.

"So they could be in a different position in the next five or ten years."

The Chinese Cricket Association (CCA), which was established and joined the ICC (International Cricket Council) and ACC (Asian Cricket Council) in 2004, has been developing the sport in China in recent years, with the priority being building a foundation of players, umpires and coaches.

"We began to promote the sport in 2005 and so far more than 100 schools have become involved in the sport," said Liang Guanghua, director of the Business Cooperation Committee of CCA.

In the 2nd Women's National Cricket Championships this year there were 19 teams taking part, compared to just six at last year's inaugural event.

The national finals wrapped up in Beijing at the weekend, and the rapid improvement has boosted the confidence of Khan and officials from the CCA.

"Definitely, my No 1 target here in China is to make them better and better," said Khan.

"They are very tough. In the physical side, they are better than Pakistan's girls. In China, girls are more keen to learn the sport than the boys."

"From my point of view, few countries are developing well in the women's cricket. The situations in India, Australia and England are a bit better," said Liang.

"It is a good chance for us. Most of the countries are at the same starting line."

Liang said the first national women's cricket team will be set up soon, after selecting the best players from the country's top four teams. Khan has been appointed head coach of China's first national women's team.

Khan will lead a 40-day training camp in Shenzhen in a bid to prepare for July's Asian Championships in Malaysia.

"For me, every match is like I want to win the championships. It is also the first such regional tournament for women's cricket organized by ACC."

An ambitious Liang revealed that the ACC and CCA will be working together to take Chinese women's cricket to a competitive world level within ten years.

But Rome was not built in a day, and Kahn and Liang both know there is tough work ahead. 

"They aren't enough facilities here. CCA has to work hard to solve this problem," said Khan.

"As for the players, what they need to improve most is batting. They need time to improve step by step."

Liang said more grassroots action is needed to get players into the game.

"Although the number is increasing fast, two years is still too short. We have to encourage more schools to set up cricket teams and join in the promotion program.

"What has delighted me in the past years is that students are showing unexpected interest in the sport. I am sure in the next year we will see more schools in the national tournament."

Liang also said support from the ACC has helped the sport come so far, so quickly.

Late last year, a high-level delegation led by ICC Chairman, Malcolm Speed and ACC President Shaharyar Khan visited Beijing and Shanghai. The two organizations announced a US$400,000 initiative to help China build its cricket infrastructure.

Both consider China to be a 'special project' and have allocated funds specifically to develop cricket in China.

In the words of ACC Chief Executive Syed Ashraful Huq: "Global revenues for cricket will increase by 30-40% in my estimation once China becomes an established cricketing nation, either as a venue, a participant or a breeding ground for future cricketers in the decades ahead."

Malcolm Speed, the ICC Chief Executive, at the end of his personal evaluation of Chinese cricket in October 2006, was optimistic about progress.

"I have seen 15-year-olds in Beijing who, if given every chance to continue their progress, will become very good cricketers. I foresee China playing in the World Cup of 2015."

The CCA's goal is to have 15,000 cricketers by 2009 with accompanying umpires and coaches, with this number rising to 60,000 by 2012.

By 2020, following the establishment of a national league, international club matches, a national school and inter-city competition as well as a credible Team China, the association expects cricket to be played actively by 150,000 people.

(China Daily June 1, 2007)